Industrial monitoring systems often employ thermal, or infrared (IR), imaging devices, which are preferably mounted in a fixed location to capture IR images of a target, which may be a particular portion of a piece of manufacturing equipment and/or a product in the midst of a manufacturing process. These devices are typically adapted to communicate with a remote monitoring station and, in some instances, are integrated with process control packages.
In harsh or relatively hot industrial environments it is often necessary to contain these imaging devices within a protective enclosure that keeps the device cool and free of contamination such as dust particles. The enclosure necessarily includes a window through which the thermal imaging device can view the target in the environment over a period of time.